The present invention relates to depth finder or fish finder devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable depth or fish finder devices that enclose power and signal cables, transducer, and graphic display in a convenient package for non-permanent installation and use on water craft.
Water craft and water-related sports activities are becoming increasingly popular recreational activities. Water-related boating activities include sailing, fishing, deep sea fishing, power boat sports such as water skiing and the like, kayaking, canoeing, and other sports activities on rivers, lakes and ocean. These recreational activities occur on waters of varying depths, bottom conditions, and obstructions and debris submerged and generally not visible from the surface.
The capability to detect sub-surface conditions and articles, such as bottom surface conditions and depths, under water obstructions and debris, and fish at varying depths, has become increasingly important. Operators of water craft frequently use marine electronic equipment known as depth detectors or fish finder devices for locating underwater articles. Fish finder devices use sonar technology that emits acoustic waves or beams from a transducer in the water. The acoustic beams reflect from the underwater articles, and return to the transducer as xe2x80x9cechoesxe2x80x9d. The return echoes are analyzed, and an image is presented on a display representative of the underwater articles from which the return echoes reflect.
Generally, fish finder devices are permanently mounted to the water craft. The analyzer and display contained within a housing that mounts with brackets to a dashboard or cockpit of the water craft. Power and signal cabling connects the fish finder device to a transducer that emits the acoustic beams into the water and receives the return echos.
Some fish finder devices however also provide quick disconnect mounts so that the fish finder device can be readily removed from the permanently installed mounting bracket. Readily detachable fish finder devices are particularly useful in water craft lacking satisfactory security for the cockpit area. With the cabling and transducer permanently mounted, the operator of the water craft carries the fish finder device to and from the water craft for use.
For smaller water craft such as kayaks and canoes, and other power boat and water craft as well, the fish finder device and transducer is not permanently mounted. Rather, transportable housings enclose the fish finder device and in some types includes compartments for storing the cable and the transducer assembly. A transducer assembly typically includes a bracket, a flexible suction cup connected to the bracket, and a transducer mounted to one end of the bracket. The bracket attaches to the transom of the water craft with the suction cup and connects with the cable to the fish finder device having a display screen. Typically, the fish finder device sits on a forward portion of the water craft for ready viewing of the display screen by the boater.
While such portable devices have provided water craft owners a non-permanent fish finder device, there are drawbacks to their use. In particular, the display and analyzer fish finder device, with its cable and transducer assembly is awkward and cumbersome for storage and handling of the portable fish finder. Further, the display and analyzer fish finder device, being freely seated on a portion of the watercraft, risks moving and falling while the watercraft is underway or experiencing heavy chop or rough waves. Further, the cabling is inconveniently held within a separate compartment of the housing. This leads to possible tangling and difficulty in retrieving and storing the cabling.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved portable fish finder device that conveniently encloses the power and signal cable, the display screen and analyzer housing, and the transducer assembly for handling and storage while readily accessible for use. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention meets the need in the art by providing a portable depth finder device that conveniently encloses a signal cable, a depth finder device including a display, and a transducer assembly for handling and storage while readily accessible for use, comprising a housing defining a wrap cavity in at least a portion of the housing for receiving a signal cable, a skirt connected to the housing and movable between a first position covering the wrap cavity and a second position uncovering the wrap cavity, and a depth finder device mounted to the housing for communicating through the signal cable with the transducer assembly, the signal cable being wrapped in the wrap cavity for storage and unwrapped therefrom when the housing is disposed on a portion of a water craft with a transducer in a body of water for determining depths.